Switchboard for dental, medical, or surgical purposes.



D. STERN.

SWITOHBOARD FOR DENTAL, MEDICAL, 0R SURGICAL PURPOSES.

APPLIGATIOK 111.111) JULY 6,1909.

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v.IKPI'LIGL'I'IOH FILED JULY 6,1909.

Patented May 31, 1910.

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D. STERN. SWITGHBOABD FOR DENTAL, MEDICAL, 0B SURGICAL PURPOSES.APPLICATION FILED JULY 6,1909.

959,641 Patented May 31, 1910.

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UNITED STATESAPATENT OFFICE.

DAVID STERN, 0F CINCINNATI, OHIO.

SWITCI-IBOARD FOR DENTAL, MEDICAL, OR SURGICAL PURPOSES.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, DAVID STERN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Cincinnati, in the. county of Hamilton and State of Ohio,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Switchboards forDental, Medical, or Surgical Purposes, of which the following is aspecification.

It is the object of my invention to provide a new and improved electricswitch-board especially adapted for dental, medical or surgicalpurposes, which is compact in construction and requires little room andin which electric energy may be affected for supplying the properelectric current to lights or instruments requiring different quantitiesor strengths of electric current.

My improved switch-board is so arranged that electric energy may bereceived from a source of comparatively high voltage, for instance ausual lighting circuit of one hundred and ten volts direct current, andsupplied through the switchboard to lamps for atmospheric illumination,to a heater for heating a sterilizer and boiling water or othersubstances, to a motor for running a dental or similar engine, forheating an annealer, for heating an oven for drying plaster casts or thelike, or other purposes requiring a current of high voltage, theswitchboard being so arranged that this current of high voltage may bereduced and regulated for supplying electric energy of low voltage, forinstance, for a miniature electric lamp, such as a dental mouth-lamp,for cauterizers, for heating small blades for rendering wax and rubberplastic and spreading the same, for heating thin wires which serve asdriers for root-canals in teeth, for electrically warming compressed airand for other purposes requiring only a small voltage, it being myobject to further provide the switchboard with means whereby the currentof high voltage, reduced to low voltage, as mentioned, may be cut out,while a current of low voltage, for instance, of approximately siX voltsfrom a storage or chemical battery is simultaneously cut in, forsupplying the miniature lamp and instruments requiring a low voltagewith electric energy from such storage or chemical battery.

I accomplish the objects mentioned by a switchboard of small dimensions,for instance, one having a front of approximately eight inches square,and I provide aswitch- Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed July 6, 1909.

Patented May 31, 1910.

Serial No. 506,169.

board upon which the various changes for supplying the various degreesof current required for the various instruments mentioned, may be madewithout danger of burning out the instruments or creating short-circuitsin the same or in the switchboard.

The invention will be further readily un derstood from the followingdescription and claims, and from the drawings, in which latter:

Figure 1 is a front elevation of my improved device. Fig. 2 is across-section of the same on the line 22 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is adiagrammatic representation of the electrical connections of my improveddevice; and, Fig. at is a diagrammatic representation of the electricalconnections of the rheostat.

1 represents the bacleplate which forms the supporting plate for theswitch-board, arranged to be fastened to a wall by screws passingthrough lugs 2.

3 represents the front-plate upon which the switches, binding-posts, andthe arm and buttons for the rheostat hereinafter mentioned aresupported. These plates are connected by rods 4: to which preferablyperforated sides 5 are suitably secured by screws 6, the resistancecoils and electric conductors to the binding posts being located in thespace between said plates.

7 8 represent the high-voltage feeding binding-posts, with whichfeed-wires 9 10 are connected. This high-voltage may be instanced onehundred and ten volts, which is a voltage in common use for feedingelectric lights for illuminating purposes and the feed-wires may connectwith an ordinary lighting system having a suitable source of electricenergy, as a dynamo 11.

12 13 are highvoltage distributing binding-posts with which distributingconductors l-l- 15 are connected, through which the high voltagereceived at the feeding binding-posts 7 8 may be supplied to anysuitable part, for instance, an incandescent-lamp for atmosphericillumination, an electric heater for sterilizing, an annealing oven forannealing the gold with which dental fillings are made, or tools forother purposes hereinbefore mentioned requiring a high voltage, to anyone of which tools the electric energy may be conveyed from thebinding-posts 12 13. The electric connection between the high-voltagefeeding binding-posts and the high-voltage distributing binding-postsare formed by means of conductors 16 17, in one of which an electricswitch 18 is interposed. This high-voltage switch 18 is shown as adouble-arm switch to correspond in appearance and mechanical operationto the lowvoltage switch 19 hereinafter described. The switch 18 isshown interposed in the conductor 17, the said conductor havingconnection with the arm 20 and button 21 of said switch, the buttons 2223 24 of said switch being neutral.

31 represents the rheostat which occupies the middle portion of thefront of the switchboard, and comprises the buttons 32 and the arm 33.

84 is an initial resistance-coil, connected with the conductor 16 at 35and with the final button of the rheostat by a conductor 36.

37 are resistancecoils for the rheostat.

The resistance coils 34 and 37 are preferably formed of a continuouscoil wrapped about an insulating plate 38, the strands of the coil beingreceived at the front and back of said plate 38, adjacent strands beingseparated or insulated from each other. Gonductors 39 connect the endsof said strands successively with the buttons of the rheostat so as tooffer increasing electric resistance at successive buttons. An electricconductor 40 connects the initial button of the rheostat with the button41 of switch 19. The switch 19 comprises the arms 42 43 pivoted on thescrews 44 45, and the buttons 46 47 48, the arms being connected by theconductor 49. An electric conductor 50 connects the button 46 with thehigh-voltage feeding binding-post 8, a fuse 51 being interposed in saidconductor. When the arms 42 43 are respectively in contact with thebuttons 46 41, a circuit is formed through the initial resistance 34 andthe resistance-coils of the rheostat.

56 57 represent the terminal-posts of a miniature-lamp circuit, 58 59the terminalposts of a low-voltage heat-circuit, and 60 61 theterminal-posts of a second low-voltage heat-circuit. The terminal posts56 57 are arranged to receive conductors 62 63 for a miniature lamp,indicated at 64, and which may be a mouth-lamp for dental purposes. Theterminals 58 59 are arranged to receive conductors 65 66 of a suitableinstrument requiring heating, as a cauterizer 67, and the terminals 6061 are arranged to receive the conductors 68 69 of another suitableinstrument, as a heated-air blower, indicated at 7 O. Theheat-instruments require a greater amperage than the miniature lamp,while the miniature lamp would be in danger of burning out if anamperage were supplied to it sufiicient to heat the instruments. Inorder therefore to enable a current of sufficient amperage to besupplied to the heatinstruments and to prevent a current of too greatamperage to be supplied to the miniature lamp, while permitting each ofthe heat and miniature-lamp circuits to be controlled by the rheostat, Iintroduce a resistance-coil 71 in the miniature-lamp circuit at a pointwhere it will not interfere with the heat circuits of low voltage, andif desired, the second-named heat-circuit may have a low resistance-coil72 introduced therein for reducing the heat supplied by said second heatcircuit compared with said first heat-circuit, the resistance-coil 72being however of less resistance than the resistance 71. Theseminiature-lamp and low-voltage heat-circuits are shunt-circuits obtainedby shunting a part of the current passing between the high-voltagefeeding terminals and through the initial and rheostat resistances, intothe conductors for the miniature-lamp and instruments, theseshunt-circuits being of comparatively low-voltage. Thus a conductor 76is electrically connected with the rheostat-arm, and through the latterwith the buttons of the rheostat with which the arm makes contact. Theconductor 76 connects with one end of the resistance-coil 71, while aconductor 77 connects the other end of said resistance-coil with a plate78 which is connected by a fuse 79 with a plate 80 of the terminal-post56.

81 is a switch having an arm 82 pivoted about the terminal-post 57 andarranged to contact the button 83 connected by a conductor 87 with thearms of the low-voltage switch 19.

The resistance-coil 71 retards the flow of current through theminiaturelamp, while the fuse aids in preventing burning out of thelamp-filament.

A conductor 91 connects with the conductor 76 in advance of theresistance-coil 71 and connects with a plate 92, between which and aplate 93 a fuse 94 is located, the terminal-post 58 being on the plate93.

95 as a switch, with the button 96 of which a conductor 97 connects, theconductor 97 connecting with the conductor 87 leading to the low-voltageswitch 19. A conductor 101 connects with the conductor 91 at 102 andwith a plate 103 connected by a fuse 104 with a plate 105 ofterminal-post 60, the low resistancecoil 72 being interposed in theconductor 101.

106 is a switch, with the button 107 of which a conductor 108 connects,the conductor 108 connecting with the conductor 87 leading to thelow-voltage switch 19.

By the arrangement stated a current of sufficient volume may be obtainedfor heating the instruments while the current is arrested to preventburning out of the miniature-lamp filament, and a comparatively lowvoltage is obtained for the miniaturelamp and heat circuits from acomparatively highvoltage feed. I also provide means whereby I amenabledto supply electric energy to the miniature-lamp and the instruments froma low-voltage supply, as a storage battery, indicated at 111, althoughthis lowvoltage supply may if desired be a battery of chemically actingcells. Conductors 112 113 lead from the battery to the battery-feedterminal-posts 114 115 of the switchboard. A conductor 116 connects withthe terminalpost 114 and at 117 with the conductor 36 between theinitial resistance-coil and the resistance-coils of the rheostat, thuscutting out the initial resistancecoil of the highvoltage circuit whenemploying the battery supply. A conductor 118 connects the but ton 48 ofthe low-voltage switch 19 with the terminal-post 115. hen now the armsof the low-voltage switch are brought from contact with the buttons 4641 into contact with the buttons 47 48, the high-voltage circuit will beopened and the battery circuit closed, an intermediate position of thearms interrupting both circuits. Vhen the highvoltage circuit is closedand the rheostatarm contacts the first button of the rheostat, being thebutton at the extreme right of the rheostat, the current will not flowthrough the miniature-lamp and heat-circuits, but will take the path ofless resistance through the conductor 40. hen the rheostat-arm is movedinto contact with the buttons of the rheostat of less resistance, ashunt circuit will flow through the miniature-lamp and instrument-circuits. hen however the high-voltage circuit is interrupted and thelow-voltage battery circuit is closed, the circuit for theminiature-lamp and instruments will be direct circuits between said lampand instruments and the poles of the battery.

As hereinbefore stated, the rheostat occupies the middle of the front ofthe switchboard. The switches, feeding terminals and terminal-posts arearranged in convenient manner at the front of said switchboard about therheostat for producing a pleasing appearance, enabling the parts to bearran ed in compact form, and permitting ready manipulation of theparts. The high and low-voltage switches 18 19 are located at the uppercorners at the left and right of the front of the switchboard, at whichpoints they are most conveniently manipulated and occupy space whichwould otherwise be wasted. The terminal-posts for the miniature-lamp andinstruments are arranged side by side at the bottom of the front-plateof the switchboard for permitting the wires therefrom to theminiature-lamp and instruments to depend from the switchboard, so thatthe same may be used without interference with each other and theswitches, and permitting ready substitution of other wires leading toother instruments than those capacity of the switchboard. Thehighvoltage feeding terminals are located above the rheostat between thehigh and low-voltage switches 18 19. The distributing binding-posts forhigh voltage are located at one side and the feeding binding-posts forthe battery-supply are located at the other side of the rheostatadjacent the edges of the switchboard, providing compactness ofconstruction. The switches employed are provided with laterally movingarms pivoted on pivots whose axes extend at right angles to the plane ofthe front-plate of the switchboard.

My improvement provides a construction occupying small space formanipulation, all of the parts being conveniently placed formanipulation, and being of compact form and so arranged that mistakes inmanipulation may be avoided.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desireto secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In an electric switchboard for dental, medical or surgical purposes,the combination of electric connections for a dynamocircuit embracinghighvoltage feed terminals, rheostatr-esistances, aconductor between oneof said feed-terminals and one end of said resistances, and a conductorembracing a low-voltage switch between the other of said feed-terminalsand the other end of said resistances, high-voltage dis tributingterminals, electric conductors embracing a high-voltage switch betweensaid feed-terminals and high-voltage distributing terminals, and aplurality of low-voltage shunt-circuits formed by connection with thearm of said rheostat and said low-voltage switch, said low-voltageshunt-circuits embracing terminals, low-voltagc lamp and instruments,and releasable connections between the latter and said last-namedterminals, substantially as described.

2. In an electric switchboard for dental, medical or surgical purposes,the combination of a plate, a rheostat embracing buttons and an armlocated at the middle of said plate, electric connections for a dynamocircuit embracing highvoltage feed-terminals, the resistances of saidrheostat, a conductor between one of said feed-terminals and one end ofsaid resistances, and a conductorembracing a low-voltage switch betweenthe other of said terminals and the other end of said resistances ofsaid rheostat, high-voltage distributing terminals, electric conductorsembracing a high-voltage switch be tween said feed-terminals andhigh-voltage distributing terminals, and a plurality of shunt-circuitsformed by connection with the arm of said rheostat and said low-voltageswitch and embracing terminals located below said rheostat-buttons andarm, the

momentarily employed, thus increasing the said switches being located inseparated relation above said rheostat and arm, and said high-voltagefeed-terminals being located above said rheostat and arm between saidswitches, substantially as described.

3. In an electrical switchboard for dental, medical or surgicalpurposes, the combination of electric connections for a dynamocircuitembracing an initial resistance, rheostat-resistances, a conductorleading from said rheostat-resistances, and a. switch in said conductor,and forming a direct circuit, a low-voltage shunt circuit formed byconnection with the arm of said rheostat and said switch and embracingconductors for parts operated by low-voltage current, and a low-voltagebattery circuit having connection with said rheostat-resistances andsaid switch and embracing said shunt-circuit for forming a directbattery-circuit therethrough, substantially as described.

4. In an electric switchboard for dental, medical or surgical purposes,the combination of electric connections for a dynamocircuit embracing aninitial resistance, rheostat-resistances, a conductor leading from saidrheostat-resistances, and a switch in said conductor, and forming adirect circuit, a plurality of low-Voltage shunt-circuits formed byconnection with the arm of said rheostat and said switch and embracingconductors for a miniature lamp and instruments operated by alow-voltage current, a resistance interposed in the shunt-circuit forsaid miniature-lamp, and a low-voltage battery-circuit having connectionwith the conductor of said dynamo-circuit between said initialresistance and said rheostat-resistances, and with said switch andembracing said shunt-circuit for forming a direct battery-circuittherethrough, substantially as described.

5. In an electric switchboard of the character described, thecombination of a rheostat centrally disposed on the front of saidswitchboard, high-voltage feeding connections located on saidswitchboard above said rheostat, a series of low-voltage supplybinding-posts located side by side below said rheostat for permittingthe supply-wires therefrom to depend therefrom below said switchboard,high-Voltage supply binding posts and a switch therefor at one side ofsaid rheostat, and low-voltage binding-posts and a switch therefor atthe other side of said rheostat, said binding-posts and switches beinglocated on the front of said switchboard closely adjacent to saidrheostat, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name hereto in the presence oftwo'subscribing witnesses.

DAVID STERN.

lVit-nesses CoNs'rAN'r SoU'rHwonTI-r, LILLIAN BURNETT.

